COXES, MA SUMMERTIME COD

Coxes Ledge is located about 25 miles southwest of Westport, MA, 20 miles southeast of Point Judith, RI and about 35 miles east of Montauk, NY. It's a large area and can be easily fished when the weather is good from many ports in southern New England.

By Capt. Steve Tombs

Last summer saw a pretty good cod bite go off on Coxes Ledge in July and August. While not typically the time of year that most anglers are thinking about cod, those that took the ride experienced some good catches with more than a few "limit catches" reported. Add in the opportunity for some chicken mahi, sea bass, fluke and maybe even a tuna if you were lucky, and the trip sounds even more inviting.

Last year most of the action in the summer was along the southern edge of the ledge in about 140 feet of water, but fish can be found anywhere throughout the area at different times. A good starting point is the area around 41.028 N and 71.178 W. This seems to be a regular spot in the summer. Look closely at the bottom and set up your drift to cover any areas where you mark fish or you find irregular features. Another spot further to the east that often holds some summer fish is around 41.03 N and 71.08 W.

When making the steam to Coxes, it's well-advised to arrive with both sea clams and jigs at your disposal. While most of the summer fish we catch are on jigs, there are times that they may only want a nice juicy sea clam so it's better to be prepared for the bite to happen on either. We've also had excellent luck fishing Red Gil Eels as a dropper about 2 feet above the jig. Last year about half of the cod we caught fell for the dropper so again, be prepared.

In general, drift fishing is more productive than anchoring in the summer. This allows you to cover more ground until fish are located, and then the drifts can be shortened to maximize the time spent on productive ground.

Because of the warm temperatures this time of year, make sure to bring a good-sized cooler with plenty of ice and get the fish iced right away when you catch them. Upon cleaning them, if you happen to find a few white worms in the fillets don't be alarmed. You can simply pull them out before putting the fillets in a bag to take home.

While cod fishing in the Gulf of Maine remains closed for now, the waters south and east of the Cape remain open and a viable fishery can be found in the summer months. For boats heading offshore, Coxes makes a great spot to start the morning or finish the afternoon for a few white fillets to top off the cooler.